ADDIS ABABA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday warned Ethiopia is facing an existential threat from the proliferation of corrupt activities.
Ahmed made the remarks during the fourth national anti-corruption partnership conference currently being held in Addis Ababa, reported state media Ethiopia News Agency.
"While Ethiopia is yet not considered among the top 10 African countries thought to have extreme levels of corruption, the lack of proactive media role in uncovering corrupt practices and ineffectiveness of government institutions to root out corrupt practices is endangering the country's political structure," he said.
Ahmed also noted the impact of corruption on the East African country's economy, noting the fight against corruption would be his administration's top priority.
Ahmed, who was endorsed by the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives as Ethiopia's Prime Minister on April 2, had previously vowed to ensure good governance and fight corruption in one of Africa's fastest growing economies.
Ahmed's premiership of the East African country came after recurrent unrests and mass anti-government demonstrations in parts of the country in recent years, particularly in Ethiopia's largest Oromia regional state where Ahmed has strong support.